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Sunday, September 25, 2016

But I was asked another question and this is pertinent to the upcoming Holiday season, so I thought I would put it out there for all to consider.

The question comes from Happy Stitching, who asks:

"I so enjoy your blog and your YouTube channel! I am planning to stitch LHN Hometown Holiday series and wondering how you are finishing? I was thinking either separate cubes or maybe all together as one large piece but I wasn't sure how it would look all together as one piece! Thanks so much!"Hometown Holidays is a popular on going design line by Little House Needleworks. You can view the designs that have been already released at this link:HOMETOWN HOLIDAYS by Little House Needleworks

Well...lets talk about how I am finishing my Hometown Holidays.

I haven't gotten very far in the series because I have been stitching lots of models in the past few years including several of the Hometown Holidays for Little House Needleworks. However the few that I have stitched, I have stitched over two on 40 ct. linen to make the design area smaller and am making them into ornaments for our tree. Here are a couple of my personal Hometown Holidays:

The original designs, Diane finished herself using the cube method. She even did a tutorial and posted it on the Little House Needlework website and you can view it by clicking on:

You can make this series into small flatfolds, they would be darling done up as flatfolds. Again I have written and video tutorials to view featuring those type of finishes at my finishing blog and on my YouTube channel.

There has been a number of people stitching these all on one piece as a "village scene" there has recently been a couple of people that have shared their layouts in the Facebook Little House and Country Cottage Needleworks Stitching Group. Diane herself will sometimes post to that group layout "ideas" for the Hometown Holiday series as she sometimes plays around with layout arrangements. If you are a member of Facebook, I encourage you to search for the Little House and Country Cottage Needleworks Stitching Group and ask to become a member by clicking on the "join" button. You can gain admittance and see how many members are working theirs up and also get some ideas that Diane has posted about in the group as well.

Q: Janaplmr Asks..."Would you consider showing how you start and end your thread?"

A: Thank you Janaplmr, I'm sorry it has taken me so long to address your question. I have done it in video form because I believe that just showing is the best way to share.
Please view my video on my YouTube Channel...HERE

**NOTE** Please remember that I am just a woman that has been stitching for many years. This is the way I start and end my threads based on my collective years (30+) of learning through my own experience of stitching and having my works judged at my county fair. This is how I do it. That does not mean it is the only way to do it or even that it is the best way to do it - rather this is my way to do it and I have found that I have good results; especially being that my judged pieces (following my beginning to stitch in this manner) has all received very high marks. Thank you.

Saturday, September 17, 2016

For those interested it is on Facebook, I can't link it because it is a private group but search for:
SMOKY MOUNTAIN CHRISTMAS SAL (no E in Smoky)
Once you find it just click join and you will be admitted!

ABC Sampler series. It is a nine part series that can be stitched alone as bowl fillers or as one piece. I decided to stitch mine all on one piece.

Here is my ABC block #1

Here is my DE - Block #2 that I finished in late August (think August 30th)

And here is what mine looks like all together.

A few notes on this one....

ABC Samplers is charted to have a block around each house. So if stitched as charted each home/design is like a building block to the next one, skipping two stitches in between is what Diane suggests if stitching them all on one sampler.

Me?

Well you know me...I can't do anything exactly like what the pattern calls for.

I wanted a "neighborhood" feel to my sampler. So I am leaving off the square surrounding blocks.

BUT....

I am adding my "own" block that will encompass the whole sampler.

It is simply a solid square and then a broken line square inside the solid line square. I am using Classic Colorworks Caterpillar for the solid line (the darker brown) and then Classic Colorworks Sassy Brassy for the broken line square (golden rust color). I knew these two would look good together and with the color palette of the others according to the sneak peek that Diane shared on her company website. So I went with it.

They are...

looking so good :) Can't wait to get to the "FGH" which is the next installment.

I am doing mine three across and three down.

Have a tempted you to give these sweet patterns a try?!

:)

Next up....

for the remainder of this year and for the foreseeable future, I am going to try to do more "me" stitching. Stitching centers me and I need to feel free to stitch what I want to stitch and when I want to stitch it instead of rushing to meet deadlines that I all too often put off until the very last minute due to my family schedule and working schedule. With me off-loading my job at the hospital (which has been nothing but positive!!!) I am trying to work harder than ever on my finishing business, so I have to be cognizant of not overdoing there to incorporate stitching every day on things I want to stitch.

This summer...

watching FlossTube which has steadily become a very important part of my day. I watched Dena @ Half Stitch Channel stitching on a pattern I had seen once before from a client of mine who showed me her finish (Hi Linda!). I mentioned it on my FB page about WOW what a beauty and then my good friend Jane @ Henley's Landing Blog sent me a pictures of hers:

This is Smoky Mountain Christmas which is an adaptation of the artwork of Linda Kotila. The design was originally put out by Stardust Design Company but they are no longer in business. This pattern however (I was happy to discover) can be purchased for PDF download at Patterns OnLine RIGHT HERE

So....after putting this bit of info on my FB page, lo and behold I soon realized that there were MANY stitchers that owned this pattern (or wanted to own this pattern) and a dear buddy Natasha started a FB page Stitch-Along entitled "Smoky Mountain Christmas SAL"

So...

if you are inclined to jump in and have the pattern already or want the pattern search the above name on FB and ask to be admitted as a member.

We started on September 4, 2016....
but I didnt' get started until September 5

Here is my two days of progress so far:

The needles you ask?

Well this is basically a full coverage pattern (minus the snow - all white is just the fabric)

I could quickly tell that I would need some sort of counting "gauge" and I didn't want to stitch those grid lines. So...I just improvised. This is page one basically in 10 stitch guides all laid out on my fabric using needles. (I was in a car when I started this - we were taking Katie back to her dorm after the holiday weekend, so needles were all I had available. I've already purchased some dressmakers pins with plastic heads that I'm going to use when I move to page 2)

I am stitching mine on 18 ct. Aida...

I am not a linen/evenweave snob. Full coverage is difficult enough I wanted easy counting!

I am using DMC as charted.

The charted white beads (which will be snowflakes)

The charted Whisper Thread for Santa's beard BUT I am taking Jane's lead and also using dark brown-black Whisper for the bears.

I think it is going to be lovely! and I am having so much fun stitching/planning again.

THAT...

is what was missing in my life. Dreaming up finishes and dreaming up stitching plans.

When you have stitch all scheduled...that took the fun, the dreaming, the planning, the anticipation away. I am dreamer. That is who I am. That is what I do best.

What do I do best? Inspire others to get excited about stitching. I know that. That is what my "thing" in life is.

Life....

kicks you in the butt to make you take a step back, take a good hard look, and then realize that changes need to be made. That is what Life did to me this summer. Kicked me in the butt. What did I do? I didn't give up! I completed my commitments to myself, to others, then I made a change. It was scary, but I did it! AND it was for the best. I'm happy to report that I am happier today than I have been in months! Literally months. I know who I am, what I do best and people can take it or leave it and that's OK, because I'm staying true to me. I lost myself a little bit there...but I'm back and better than I was before I walked down that path.

Finishing...

Yes. Lots.

I'll let the pictures do the talking....

Whew...

there's more, but that's all I'll share this time around :)

My kids are doing fabulous....

Katie LOVES college

Ian and Jacob are doing great as Juniors in High School and in the middle of their Cross Country Season.

(in this photo Ian is out front and Jake (in white head band) leading second pack)

Ian

Jake

Ellie is chomping at the bit to start 4H meetings again and thriving as a 5th grader.

Speaking of 4H...

My fair results this year:

Carriage House Samplings "Quaker Stocking"

Honor Ribbon

Pineberry Lane's "Bringing Home the Tree"

Reserve Champion Ribbon

Little House Needleworks "Melicent Turner"

Reserve Champion Ribbon

2015 was a lean stitching year across the board, so not as many to enter as previous years.

Let's hope 2016 is a better stitching year :)

Until next time...

I'll be keeping my hands to work and my heart to God just like always.

Letting my little light shine for all the world to see, while I continue to be me and reach for the stars!